Disclaimer: I am writing this while I am still hangry, so take this with that grain of salt.The food is genuinely good. But I ordered it at 8:05pm and there were less people than are usually there. Nevertheless, I did not get my one dish until 8:45. I had to leave by then for my ride. I got several apologies, but wouldn’t the right thing to do at this point be to give me a discount on my order, or something other than words, since you are charging me so much for your atmosphere and eating experience at your restaurant which I couldn’t enjoy because it took 45 minutes to bring out my food (which was btw a pasta dish)?
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
Dave Barry
Parking: Limited street parking. Be prepared to walk a couple of blocks
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
dennis gurel
Terrible service.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 1
Ross McCall
Good food. Excellent service and atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Shannon Stith
Amazing dinner and I could just come here for the sourdough and desserts. Delicious! Chris was taking care of us and he was so sweet.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tiramisu Cheesecake
Grant Ramsey
My wife and I have been here 6 times. It’s our favorite place in SD. Great atmosphere. Great service. Terrific food.I’ve had the ribeye 4 times, it’s always consistently perfect. I would happily pay $30 more than what they charge for the ribeye.The spicy rigatoni is phenomenal. The branzino is outstanding.We usually get out for around $220ish with drinks, apps and entrees and each time I feel like it’s still greet value. It’s just that good!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lamb Lollipops
Jacob Valla
Return customer. I ordered the ribeye, and what a letdown. It tasted like nothing; it was cold and tough and cost $53. I do not recommend it. The food is heavily salted (same as the first time). My bill was $153 for 2 people, and for this, the food went from okay to bad. The parking can be challenging.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 3
Amy Wise
The vibe and decor is great, and the staff was very friendly and offered great recommendations.The food was just ok though and it's pricey for what you get. It just seemed the flavors in the pasta dishes weren't paired well.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
brian plassaras
Pricey but
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Joanne B.
I'm a Trust Restaurant Group fan! Here I enjoy the branzino and the ambiance the most of the others. And it allows easy access to the ice cream shop next door which it's open in warmer months. Parking is no fun but the food makes it worth it. Great service here and amazingly creative sides like all or their other restaurants.
I'm 100% a fan! I came here with my girlfriends in August 2023. According to their website, Cardellino Italian Chophouse is a "story steeped in fire, char, steak, red sauce, parmesan, and truffles." They showcase the ideals of the TRUST Restaurant Group. Cardellino melds a Tuscan stone heath, all American Big Green Egg, and combines Chef Brad Wise's passion for culinary adventure. Their menu focus draws inspiration from the northern cities of Umbria and Piedmont, which means housemade pastas, traditional antipasti, and Bistecca Fiorentina (signature dish). My girlfriends and I went for Happy Hour and tried the following:- Fried Cheese Ravioli- Lamb Lollipops- MeatballsWe also ordered a steak and dessert on the side. For cocktails, I tried my favorite drink off their Happy Hour menu - Aperol Spritz!Food is delicious. Hands down! Service is phenomenal. My girlfriends and I saw at the bar. Pics:- Aperol Spritz - yelp.com/user_local_phot…- Food - yelp.com/user_local_phot…- Dessert - yelp.com/user_local_phot…ENJOY!!
Victor A.
Let me tell you I was skeptical to go here, we had plans for steak 48 and it got cancelled because we had to change times to enjoy dinner with friends who couldn't make the reservation. So instead they recommended to come to this place and I have to say thank God we did! The food is phenomenal I don't use that word lightly! From the apps we had the chopped salad that was unreal! We had the must try lollipop lamb chops that were the best lamb chops I ever had in San Diego! They have this salsa verde on the bottom that you take a spoon to coat your chops with! It was to die for! The best part was the price 9 dollars a lamb chop. It was free for the quality and size of these things! We also had the meatballs (can't go to an Italian place and not have the meatballs!) they were great, not my favorite but very good. Next we had the filet mignon carpaccio that was excellent! For dinner we had it family style to try everything, We had the 38 ounce mega NY steak! Sliced and cooked to perfection! We also had a ribeye that was so flavorful! The star of the show was the veal chop parmigiana! WOW melts in your mouth bone in veal! Straight crack! We had a ton of sides fingerling potatoes, and the squash was amazing so were the mushrooms, they were so freaking good! We shared two pastas the bolognese which was great! Although the second pasta is a must try! It's the Sunday night pasta, man let me tell you it had a short rib sauce that was out of this world! The food at this establishment was second to none in SD. Forget Barbusa and any Italian in SD, this is the spot! P.S. save room for dessert get the Espresso vanilla ice cream they take a shot of espresso and put it on a scoop of ice cream In a cup best Night cap ever! The service is perfect they were all over you to get what you needed! The ambiance is well decorated and we had a seat by the kitchen to be able to see the chefs do their thing! Although it was a little loud because music was playing and the place was packed, but I'll take the noise and speak louder to my friends for food like that any day! This is a must try! The Trust restaurant group never disappointing thank you for another San Diego Gem!
Andrea R.
Decided on trying Cardellino out for my birthday dinner. The vibe here is pretty sexy with the dim lighting and since it was around Christmas time they hung tinsel around the dining area and it was gorgeous and glitzy!Our server was an absolute gem, she helped us pick out a spectacular wine since it was a Tuesday which is when they do half off bottles of wine! We were also unsure of how much to order since we didn't know what the portion sizes would be like so she really helped us navigate what to order to split between 2 people.For starters we went with the asparagus and filet mignon carpaccio. I've never had asparagus with a fried egg on it so it was very interesting and is definitely inspiring me to recreate the dish at home. I was a little disappointed by the filet mignon carpaccio because I felt it was just overly salty, although the crunchy texture mixed in made for fun mouthfeel.For mains we split the bucatini amatriciana and hanger steak. The pasta was decadent as expected. Bummed that our steak was overcooked, we asked for medium rare and what we got was closer to well done. Although I've never had a Hanger steak cut before so I'm not sure if they're typically more chewy.These four dishes and a bottle of wine filled us up, so we didn't end up ordering dessert since we had no room. I do however find it odd we weren't given a complimentary dessert especially since my partner informed the server it was my birthday.All in all, I felt like dinner was underwhelming. I will only return for wine and appetizers.
serina c.
What a hidden gem I never knew about! Yheir chopped salad seemed to have way too much cheese at first but after it was tossed it tasted perfect. Their spicy rigatoni is exactly like carbone's except I wish it just has a tiny bit more sauce on it. The mushroom tortellini was delicious except for some crunchy nuts on it that threw off the dish. I push all I could find off the pasta so I could enjoy it. Service was below average at best. Maybe they were understaffed that night but the food is definitely worth coming back for
Disclaimer: I am writing this while I am still hangry, so take this with that grain of salt.The food is genuinely good. But I ordered it at 8:05pm and there were less people than are usually there. Nevertheless, I did not get my one dish until 8:45. I had to leave by then for my ride. I got several apologies, but wouldn’t the right thing to do at this point be to give me a discount on my order, or something other than words, since you are charging me so much for your atmosphere and eating experience at your restaurant which I couldn’t enjoy because it took 45 minutes to bring out my food (which was btw a pasta dish)?
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
Parking: Limited street parking. Be prepared to walk a couple of blocks
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Terrible service.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 1
Good food. Excellent service and atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Amazing dinner and I could just come here for the sourdough and desserts. Delicious! Chris was taking care of us and he was so sweet.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tiramisu Cheesecake
My wife and I have been here 6 times. It’s our favorite place in SD. Great atmosphere. Great service. Terrific food.I’ve had the ribeye 4 times, it’s always consistently perfect. I would happily pay $30 more than what they charge for the ribeye.The spicy rigatoni is phenomenal. The branzino is outstanding.We usually get out for around $220ish with drinks, apps and entrees and each time I feel like it’s still greet value. It’s just that good!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lamb Lollipops
Return customer. I ordered the ribeye, and what a letdown. It tasted like nothing; it was cold and tough and cost $53. I do not recommend it. The food is heavily salted (same as the first time). My bill was $153 for 2 people, and for this, the food went from okay to bad. The parking can be challenging.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 3
The vibe and decor is great, and the staff was very friendly and offered great recommendations.The food was just ok though and it's pricey for what you get. It just seemed the flavors in the pasta dishes weren't paired well.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Pricey but
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
I'm a Trust Restaurant Group fan! Here I enjoy the branzino and the ambiance the most of the others. And it allows easy access to the ice cream shop next door which it's open in warmer months. Parking is no fun but the food makes it worth it. Great service here and amazingly creative sides like all or their other restaurants.
Restaurantji Recommends
I'm 100% a fan! I came here with my girlfriends in August 2023. According to their website, Cardellino Italian Chophouse is a "story steeped in fire, char, steak, red sauce, parmesan, and truffles." They showcase the ideals of the TRUST Restaurant Group. Cardellino melds a Tuscan stone heath, all American Big Green Egg, and combines Chef Brad Wise's passion for culinary adventure. Their menu focus draws inspiration from the northern cities of Umbria and Piedmont, which means housemade pastas, traditional antipasti, and Bistecca Fiorentina (signature dish). My girlfriends and I went for Happy Hour and tried the following:- Fried Cheese Ravioli- Lamb Lollipops- MeatballsWe also ordered a steak and dessert on the side. For cocktails, I tried my favorite drink off their Happy Hour menu - Aperol Spritz!Food is delicious. Hands down! Service is phenomenal. My girlfriends and I saw at the bar. Pics:- Aperol Spritz - yelp.com/user_local_phot…- Food - yelp.com/user_local_phot…- Dessert - yelp.com/user_local_phot…ENJOY!!
Let me tell you I was skeptical to go here, we had plans for steak 48 and it got cancelled because we had to change times to enjoy dinner with friends who couldn't make the reservation. So instead they recommended to come to this place and I have to say thank God we did! The food is phenomenal I don't use that word lightly! From the apps we had the chopped salad that was unreal! We had the must try lollipop lamb chops that were the best lamb chops I ever had in San Diego! They have this salsa verde on the bottom that you take a spoon to coat your chops with! It was to die for! The best part was the price 9 dollars a lamb chop. It was free for the quality and size of these things! We also had the meatballs (can't go to an Italian place and not have the meatballs!) they were great, not my favorite but very good. Next we had the filet mignon carpaccio that was excellent! For dinner we had it family style to try everything, We had the 38 ounce mega NY steak! Sliced and cooked to perfection! We also had a ribeye that was so flavorful! The star of the show was the veal chop parmigiana! WOW melts in your mouth bone in veal! Straight crack! We had a ton of sides fingerling potatoes, and the squash was amazing so were the mushrooms, they were so freaking good! We shared two pastas the bolognese which was great! Although the second pasta is a must try! It's the Sunday night pasta, man let me tell you it had a short rib sauce that was out of this world! The food at this establishment was second to none in SD. Forget Barbusa and any Italian in SD, this is the spot! P.S. save room for dessert get the Espresso vanilla ice cream they take a shot of espresso and put it on a scoop of ice cream In a cup best Night cap ever! The service is perfect they were all over you to get what you needed! The ambiance is well decorated and we had a seat by the kitchen to be able to see the chefs do their thing! Although it was a little loud because music was playing and the place was packed, but I'll take the noise and speak louder to my friends for food like that any day! This is a must try! The Trust restaurant group never disappointing thank you for another San Diego Gem!
Decided on trying Cardellino out for my birthday dinner. The vibe here is pretty sexy with the dim lighting and since it was around Christmas time they hung tinsel around the dining area and it was gorgeous and glitzy!Our server was an absolute gem, she helped us pick out a spectacular wine since it was a Tuesday which is when they do half off bottles of wine! We were also unsure of how much to order since we didn't know what the portion sizes would be like so she really helped us navigate what to order to split between 2 people.For starters we went with the asparagus and filet mignon carpaccio. I've never had asparagus with a fried egg on it so it was very interesting and is definitely inspiring me to recreate the dish at home. I was a little disappointed by the filet mignon carpaccio because I felt it was just overly salty, although the crunchy texture mixed in made for fun mouthfeel.For mains we split the bucatini amatriciana and hanger steak. The pasta was decadent as expected. Bummed that our steak was overcooked, we asked for medium rare and what we got was closer to well done. Although I've never had a Hanger steak cut before so I'm not sure if they're typically more chewy.These four dishes and a bottle of wine filled us up, so we didn't end up ordering dessert since we had no room. I do however find it odd we weren't given a complimentary dessert especially since my partner informed the server it was my birthday.All in all, I felt like dinner was underwhelming. I will only return for wine and appetizers.
What a hidden gem I never knew about! Yheir chopped salad seemed to have way too much cheese at first but after it was tossed it tasted perfect. Their spicy rigatoni is exactly like carbone's except I wish it just has a tiny bit more sauce on it. The mushroom tortellini was delicious except for some crunchy nuts on it that threw off the dish. I push all I could find off the pasta so I could enjoy it. Service was below average at best. Maybe they were understaffed that night but the food is definitely worth coming back for
Terrrible service, rude Manager and
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 1